Card groover



Sept. 28, 1954 A w PEER-[AG 2,690,219

I CARD GROOVER Filed May 15, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 240770? min-7716 P 28, 1954 A. w. FEIERTAG 2,690,219

CARD GROOVER Filed May 15, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN-TOR. APT/YUP I4 FEM-W746 ATTORNEY! Patented Sept. 28, 1954 CARD GROOVER Arthur W. Feiertag, Athens, Ohio, assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Royal McBee Corporation, a corporation of New York Application May 15, 1950, Serial No. 162,109

6 Claims.

This invention relates to card grocvers and is particularly concerned with a portable manually operable card groover for grooving small batches of record cards.

Cards of the type referred to are provided along one or more edges with one or more rows of perforations which are grouped and identified by suitable indicia to represent desired classifications. In practice, one or a plurality of these perforations are grooved or slotted out to the edge of the card, forming a pattern of grooves or slots pertaining to a single classification. Such grooved and slotted cards may be selectively sorted. by passing one or more sorting rods through selected perforations of a group of cards, which perforations represent the desired classification. By then permitting the cards having notches or slots coinciding with the perforations penetrated by the rod or rods to disengage from the latter, while the remainder of the cards remain suspended therefrom, the cards of one or more selected classifications are sorted from a stack of cards.

Heretofore such notchings have usually been performed by electrically powered or foot operated machines. The operator, therefore, having performed the necessary clerical work on the cards was required to leave her desk to carry the cards to the notching machine and then return for further clerical work. Such a break in card record handling routine is not burdensome when the volume or quantity to be notched is great enough to require the services of an operator for that task over a period of several hours per day. Where the quantities are small and the daily card volume is small the large machine operation is uneconomical and cumbersome.

It is therefore among the primary objects of the present invention to provide a novel, simple and improved card grooving machine which is portable and manually operable.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device of the character described, having new and improved knife mechanism by which effective and efficient grooving operations may be performed over a long period of time before re-'. placement or resharpening of the grooving knife is required.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved cutter block for card A further object of the present invention is to a Cl. l64--43) provide a device of the character described having novel and improved cutter chip receiving means and the invention further provides readily operable means for disposing of the cutting chips accumulatedin the machine.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a device of the character set forth having a new and improved handle mechanism by which the cutting knife is operated which is readily moved to a position parallel with the body of the machine so as to facilitate storage or shipment of the device.

Numerous other objects and features of the present invention will be apparent from consideration of the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in

which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one preferred form of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of that form of the invention shown in Fig. 1 showing the knife in raised inoperative position.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the knife and handle in their cutting position.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3. v I

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a card aligning member forming part of the present invention.

In general terms the present invention may be defined as comprising a structure providing a platen surface for cards, together with a manually manipulated knife arm upon which is mounted a double ended knife, the arrangement being such that the knife may be readily reversed to present a new cutting surface to the cards to be grooved. The invention also contemplates the provision of a rotatable cutting block mounted below the knife to cooperate therewith in the grooving of the cards. The cutting block is so mounted and actuated by movement of the knife as to be rotated with step by step motion in order to provide a new block surface for the knife upon each cutting stroke thereof. The block is also reversible so as to present a fresh block surface to the knife when the face being used has be come thoroughly scored and no longer fit for use. A releasable mechanism for the handle is also included by which the handle may be disengaged from the knife actuating mechanism so that the handle may be. moved to lie parallel to and adjacent the body of the-apparatus to facilitate storage or shipment thereof. The present inventive concept further embraces the use of a simple card alignment plate having a peg which is removable from the apparatus to facilitate the insertion thereof through registering apertures of the cards so that the cards may thus be readily aligned and retained in aligned position for the grooving operation.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral l designates the base of the groover which base is formed of a simple, hollow casting and is provided on the forward top surface thereof with a platen upon which the cards are arranged in the grooving'operation.

The present structure contemplates the use of a wing shelf as indicated at I2, which may be removably secured to the sides of the base ID by buttons [3 which are adapted to be received through keyhole slots l4 in the inner flange of the wing l2, as may be noted in Figs. 4 and 5. In this manner the wings may be removably secured to either side of the base l0.

At the rear of the platen the base In is provided with an upwardly extending head |5 at the center of which is a further upwardly extending housing l6 within whichthe knife and its operating mechanism is mounted. As indicated at I! the front of the housing It is vertically apertured to provide for the location and movement of the knife and the knife arm. The side walls l8 of the housing l6 are provided with registering apertures IS in which are mounted bearing mem'bers A and 2GB for the inner transversely extending shaft 2| of the manipulating handle 22. As indicated in Fig. 6 at 23, the right-hand bearing member20A is pinned to the transversely extending shaft 2| of the handle 22 and is thus rotatable therewith. The bearing member 20A is provided with an operating detent 2 1 which is adapted to engage within a recess 25 formed on the right-hand leg 26 of a substantially .U-shaped actuating yoke 28 which is supported on the shaft 2| within the housing "5. The extreme. left end of the shaft 2| is provided with a spring 29 which bears at its inner end against a washer 30 which is held against the bearing member 203 while its opposite end bears against the inner face of a cap 3| secured on the end of the shaft 2| by a snap ring 32.

By this arrangement of parts it will be seen that the spring normally urges the shaft, 2| to the left, as shown in Fig. .6, and thus shaft 2| with its detent 24 is in engagementwith the U- shaped yoke of the operating mechanism. However, when it is desired to release the handle so it may drop to a position lying on the platen H, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, in which position it is out of the way permitting ready storage or shipment of .the device, the handle is moved to the right against the tension of its spring 29 by which movement the bearing member 213A moves with the handle end 2| and releases the detent 24 from the recess 25 of the yoke to permit the handle to move freely withoutthmovement of the cutter mechanism there- W1 The knife operating mechanism includes a knife arm 33 mounted forpivotal movement on a shaft 34, the ends ofwhich are supported by upturned ears 35.0f a supporting bracket 36 secured by screws 31.mounted from bosses 38 formed on the bottom section below the portion l5 thereof. The knife arm 33 includes a rear upwardly extending leg 39 through which is mounted a stop screw secured by a lock nut 4| and adapted to be so adjusted as to provide for the contact of its inner end 42 with the handle shaft 2| at the end of the cutting stroke. The knife arm 33 is also provided with a forward leg 43 having a top flange M and a vertical front edge 45 which is tapered rearwardly to provide an apex 46 upon which is mounted a transversely V-shaped cutting knife 4": removably secured to the apex 46 by a central securing screw 48. As indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, it will be noted that the bottom of the cutting knife is formed to exthe cutting device so as to provide an overhanging outwardly extending cutting end. It will also be noted that in raised position the knife is slightly inclined rearwardly. In action, since the arm 33 rocks on the shaft 35, the cutting movement is arcuate. Both ends of the cutting knife are formed identically so that should the knife ibecome dull the screw it may be loosened and the blade reversed to present a new cutting blade for operation upon the cards to be grooved. For operating the cutting arm 33 from the yoke 28 there is provided a pair of links 49 piv otally connected by a pin 59 between the opposite legs of the yoke and extending therefrom to engage the opposite sides of the arm 33 being secured thereto by a pin 5i. By the arrangement thus shown it will be seen that as the handle 22 is moved to rotate the shaft 2| the detent 24 of the bearing ZiiA will cause the yoke 28 to rotate with the movement of the handle and through the links 49 the knife arm 33 will be rocked about its pivot 33, thus causing the knife to reciprocate to perform the cutting operation. The knife arm 33 is further provided with a depending lower leg 52 to which is attached a forwardly extending pawl arm 53 .which pawl arm is preferably formed of sheet metal and is of substantial width, as indicated most clearly in Fig. 6. The forward end of the pawl arm 53 is turned upwardly to provide a pawl finger 54 which isadapted to engage the ratchet teeth 55 of the ratchet wheel 56 which wheel is mounted upon the shaft 51 together with a rotary anvil or cutting block 58. The block 58 is mounted for rotation with internal bearing sleeves 59 which may conveniently be formed of sheet metal and which are provided with inwardly turned end detents 69 which engage a keyway groove 6| in the shaft 57 so as to cause the block to rotate with rotations of the shaft and the ratchet wheel 56. Also engaging the ratchet on the side opposite to the pawl 53 is a spring stop plate 62 secured by a screw 63 to a boss fi l formed on the housing below the platen A spring 65 extends between the pin 5| connecting the link 49 to the cutter arm 33 and downwardly therefrom to be secured to the forward end of the pawl 53 to provide tension therefore.

From the foregoing structure it will be seen that as the arm 33 rocks in clockwise direction after the cutting stroke has been completed the pawl 53 will be moved forwardly and its engagement with the ratchet teeth 55 will cause the cutting block to be rotated one step presentin a fresh top surface for contact with the cutting knife on the next cutting opertion. When the knife arm is again moved through operation of the handle 22 the pawl 53 moves to the right, as shown in Fig. 3, and slides over the ratchet teeth without causing rotation thereof, the spring stop 62. precluding any accidental rotation during such movement. As more clearly shown in Fig. 5, the

shaft 51 of the cutting block extends to the right from the ratchet Wheel and has a bearing in the aperture 66 at the side of the body. The inner end of the shaft is supported in apertured depending central lugs 61 formed below the front wall of the housing l6. Between the ratchet wheel 53 and the side wall of the base there is located a spring 58 which normally urges the shaft 51 to the left, as viewed in Fig. 5, and with its outer end within the left-hand lug 61. It will be noted, however, that the width of the cutting block is substantially thrice the Width of the knife and that the lugs 61 are not located centrally of the base but slightly to one side thereof so that the knife will engage the right-handside only of the cutting block. This arrangement is such that after the cutting surface is marked by engagement with the blade the operator may move the shaft 51 to the right against the tension of the spring 68. By such movement the shaft disengages the bearing 59 and the cutting block may therefore be removed from the shaft and reversed so as to place the side now shown to the left of the cutter in alignment with the cutter. Thereafter the shaft may be released and the spring 68 will again insert the shaft through the bearing 59 and with its keyway in engagement therewith so that step by step rotation will ensue in response to further cutting operations.

As hereinbefore noted the base it] is preferably a hollow casting and it will be seen that as the cutter grooves the cards the material removed by such grooving drops over the cutter block wheel into the cavity of the bottom of the housing. In order to prevent scattering of the cutter chips thus formed the bottom of the housing is closed by a plate 69 which is provided with a central door is pivotally mounted on a cross pin H. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the end 12 of the door is provided with a sliding latch member 13 normally urged forwardly in engagement with the edge 14 of the closure by a spring 15. The latch 13 is provided with an operating button 16, the arrangement being such that when the button 16 is moved to slide the latch 13 against the tension of the spring the door 10 may pivotally move about its pin H so that ready means of disposing of the cutter chips is provided.

For aligning the cards, indicated at H, on the platen ii, there is provided an alignment plate in the form of a disc 78 having a central peg 19 which may be readily inserted through registering apertures of the cards to retain the cards in registration during the notching operation. While devices of this kind are frequently provided with card aligning and registering means formed on the platen or adjacent thereto, the present removable aligning member permits the registration of the cards at a place remote from the grooving device and movement of the cards from such remote place to the grooving device without disturbing the registration thereof.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the present invention provides a novel simple and improved portable and manually operable card grooving device which is simple in construction and operation and well designed to meet the demands of economic manufacture. It will of course be understood that numerous changes, modifications and the full use of equivalents may be resorted to in the practice of the invention without departing from the spirit or scope hereof as outlined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described, a frame, a shaft rotatably mounted on the frame, a roll type cutter block slidably but substantially nonrotatably mounted on the shaft, a cutter mounted on the frame for movement toward and away from the cutter block to effect a cutting operation on material placed on the block, means for so moving the cutter and for intermittently rotatably advancing the shaft, said block being of a length at least twice the dimension of the cutter taken in the same direction, and means on the frame disposing the cutter block in position where one peripheral side thereof is in registry with the cutter, said shaft being supported by the frame for axial movement relative to the cutter block to permit the block to be reversed to present the opposite peripheral side to the cutter.

2 In a device of the class described, a frame, a shaft rotatably mounted on the frame, a roll type cutter block slidably out substantially non rotatably mounted on the shaft, a cutter mounted on the frame for movement toward and away from the cutter block to effect a cutting operation on material placed on the block, means for so moving the cutter and for intermittently rotatably advancing the shaft, said block being of a length at least twice the dimension of the cutter taken in the same direction, means on the frame disposing the cutter block in position where one peripheral side thereof is in registry with the cutter, said shaft being supported by the frame for axial movement relative to the cutter block to permit the block to be reversed to present the opposite peripheral side to the cutter, and spring means urging the shaft into a position extending through the cutter block.

3. In a device of the class described, a frame, a shaft rotatably mounted on the frame, said shaft having a keyway formed therein, bearing sleeves on the shaft having detent portions extending into the keyway of the shaft, a cutter block mounted on the bearing sleeve, a cutter mounted on the frame for movement toward and away from the cutter block to effect a cutting operation on material placed on the cutter block, means for so moving the cutter and for intermittently rotatably advancing the shaft, said cutter block being a length at least twice the dimension of the cutter taken in the same direction, and means on the frame for disposing the cutter block in position where one peripheral side thereof is in registry with the cutter, said shaft being supported by the frame for axial movement relative to the cutter block to permit the cutter block to be reversed on the shaft to present the opposite peripheral side to the cutter.

4. In a device of the class described, a frame, a shaft rotatably mounted on the frame, said shaft having a keyway formed therein, bearing sleeves on the shaft having detent portions extending into the keyway of the shaft, a cutter block mounted on the bearing sleeve, a cutter mounted on the frame for movement toward and away from the cutter block to eifect a cutting operation on material placed on the cutter block, means for so moving the cutter and for intermittently rotatably advancing the shaft, said cutter block being a length at least twice the dimension of the cutter taken in the same direction, means on the frame for disposing the cutter block in position where one peripheral side thereof is in registry with the cutter, said shaft being supported by the frame for axial movement relative to the cutter block to permit the cutter block to be reversedon the shaft to present the opposite peripheral side to the cutter, and spring means urging the shaft to occupy a position extending through the cutter block.

5. In a device of the class described, a frame, a roll type cutter block slidably but substantially non-rotatably mounted on the shaft, a cutter supporting member pivoted on the frame intermediate its ends so that one end moves toward and away from the cutter block, a cutter mounted on said one end of the cutter supporting member to effect a cutting operation on material placed on the cutter block when said one end is moved toward said cutter block, said cutter block being of a length at least twice the dimension of the cutter taken in the same direction, means on the frame disposing the cutter block in position where one peripheral side thereof is in registry with the cutter, said shaft being supported by the frame for axial movement relative to the cutter block to permit the cutter block to be reversed on the shaft to present the opposite peripheral side to the cutter, a ratchet wheel on the shaft, a pawl arm on the other end of the cutter supporting member engaging the ratchet wheel and operable to rotatably ad Vance the ratchet wheel and therefore the shaft and cutter block upon oscillation of the cutter supporting member, and means for oscillating the cutter supporting member.

6. In a device of the class described, a frame, a shaft rotatably mounted on the frame, a roll type cutter block on the shaft, a cutter supporting member pivoted on the frame intermediate its ends so that one end moves toward and away from the cutter block, a cutter mounted on said one end of the cutter supporting member to effeet a cutting operation on material placed on the cutter block when said one end is moved toward said cutter block, a ratchet wheel on the shaft, a pawl arm on the other end of the cutter supporting member engaging the ratchet wheel and operable to rotatably advance the ratchet Wheel and therefore the shaft and cutter block upon oscillation of the cutter supporting member, and means for oscillating the cutter supporting member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 700,141 Grall May 13, 1902 711,435 Morris Oct. 14, 1902 909,937 Rice Jan. 19, 1909 1,147,602 Bowers July 20, 1915 1,162,343 Curran et a1 Nov. 30, 1915 1,236,508 Wadhams Aug. 14, 1917 1,297,227 Osiwala Mar. 11, 1919 1,342,240 Walter June 1, 1920 1,381,814 Farkas et al. June 14, 1921 1,608,538 Wehmeier Nov. 30, 1926 1,676,260 Glidden July 10, 1928 1,941,957 Stegmann Jan. 2, 1934 1,957,981 Shook May 8, 1941 2,032,730 Welk Mar. 3, 1936 2,152,958 Freeman Apr. 4, 1939 2,333,293 Cartlidge Nov. 2, 1943 2,405,598 Miller Aug. 13, 1946 2,452,742 Franzene Nov. 2, 1948 2,518,069 Roper Aug. 8, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 11,375 Great Britain of 1898 

